Hard-Boiled Dic

It was late, well after nine o’clock, and the wind had shifted and was blowing out of the east.. That should have cooled things off a bit, but the streets were still as hot as the barrel of a Saturday night special on Sunday morning, and the breeze seemed to do little but blow the heat around, picking up old newspapers, candywrappers and dust and sending them swirling around the dim and empty streets.

The heat had been squatting on the city like some evil demon for over a week now, robbing people of sleep, fraying nerves, and slowing everything down to a sluggish crawl. The streets were deserted, everyone was home now, stretched out under their air-conditioners and fans, or else packed into the movie theater in seach of some cool.

Matt had an air conditioner too, but it didn’t work. It protruded from the window behind his desk, the window that said “M. Danger, Security/Confidential Investigations”, and he only kept it around now for appearances. The heat didn’t bother him that much, in fact, he kind of liked it. It seemed appropriate for the kind of work he did and the kind of people he had to associate with.

He sat with his feet up on the desk, his tie loosened, his hat pulled down over his eyes. All the windows--aside from the one with the dead AC unit-- were open wide, and the Venetian blinds blew fitfully and clattered in the hot, dry breeze. The elaborate neon sign from the Heavenly Garden Cantonese Restaurant below his office bathed the room in its pinkish red glow, and the small cone of light from his shaded desk lamp was the only white spot in a room that seemed to be lit by fire.

The desk light was on because he was expecting someone, and he wanted her to know he was in. He’d unlocked the door to the building’s lobby, and made sure his office door was open too. Now he sat there in the red glow, half dozing. He was expecting someone, and he knew she’d come.

When he at last heard the sharp click of her heels on the marble stairs, he was instantly awake, though he gave no sign. Except for the faint grin that was hidden in the shadow from his hat. What would happen next would be interesting, he thought ruefully, very interesting indeed.

“Matt!” she said excitedly as she stepped into the room! “I got your message! It sounded urgent! What’s happened! Have you got it?”

“Whoa!” he said, slowly swinging his legs down from the desk and pushing his hat back. “It’s more like a good news, bad news kind of thing, Sweetheart. Which do you want first?

He looked at her in the wan red light, enjoying the mere sight of her. She was always a treat for the eyes. Sophisticated, educated, well- bred, she was all he’d wanted but could never have, the kind of woman who wouldn’t even look at him on the street. But inside that elegant frame beat a larcenous heart, he knew. A larcenous and double-dealing heart. And now he had the goods on her

Her expensive skirt hung on her hips like it was custom made, and her silk blouse showed not a crease or a wrinkle, gave no sign that the streets she had just come from were as hot as the devil’s own pizza oven.. Standing in the doorway to his inner office with the light from the corridor behind her, he noticed that she wore no bra, all the luscious curves of her body were visible right through her clothes. He grinned as he realized that she must know it, too. She had no doubt chosen to stand in that very spot just to give him a view. Oh, she was good. She was very good.

“I don’t understand, Matt!” she said. “Please don’t tease me! Did you find it? Did you find the Item?”

He stood up and stretched, enjoying her impatience. “The Item? Oh yeah.” He said. “I found it.”

“Well, where is it?” she asked anxiously. “Is it here?”

“It’s around here, yeah. It’s a little secret, Sugar.” he said, opening the top right drawer of his battered desk. He rummaged around and pulled out a black silk scarf. “I know you can appreciate a good secret, huh Doll? You especially. Now turn around. No peeking.”

She looked at him suspiciously. “Matt, please don’t play games! I’ve waited too long…”

“Oh, this is no game, Sweetheart. Anything but. But I do have my trade secrets, you’ve got to allow me that!”

“Oh, very well!” she said. She turned around and stood waiting impatiently.

He went to her and tied the scarf securely around her head, effectively blindfolding her. She had expected it, and let him do it. He was aware of the faint scent of her perfume, subtle, expensive, and erotic.

“Matt, you’re being foolish!” she said. “I’m not a child!”

He ignored her. “Now hand me your purse so I can put it down.” He said.

Impatiently she handed him her clutch purse, which he took from her with one hand. With the other, he quickly slapped one of the silver bracelets of his detective’s hand cuffs onto her outstretched hand.

She gasped, but before she could react he whirled her around, grabbed her other arm, and finished applying the cuffs, pinioning her arms behind her back.

“Matt! What the hell are you doing? Matt? Matt!”

“Relax, kid.” He said dryly. “Take a load off.” He pushed her shoulder, guiding her backwards until her legs hit the wooden chair and she sat down heavily. She slumped in the chair, struggling to extract her hands from the locked cuffs.

“Damn it, Matt! What do you think you’re doing? Take these things off me!”

He picked her purse up from the floor where she’d dopped it, leaned against his desk, and started going through it.

“Just calm down, sweetheart, and all will become clear.” He said.

“Well, what have we here?” He extracted a nine-millimeter automatic from her purse. It was a small and fancy gun, a woman’s weapon, but it could make short work of a man. He also knew that it wasn’t the same type of gun as the .38 that had been used to kill his partner Niles, not five days ago. But she didn’t know that. Let her sweat a little.

“Do you always pack heat, sugar.?” He asked, “A nice girl like yourself?”

With her blindfold on she could not see what he held in front of her. He face was tilted defiantly up at him. “What are you talking about? My gun? Yes it’s mine, I admit it! You surely don’t expect me to walk around unarmed with all that’s going on, do you? I’m not as stupid as that!”

“No, Ms. Montgomery, I don’t think you’re stupid.” He said. “Far from it. I think you’re quite the clever little girl, quite clever indeed…”

“I also think you’re a murderer. I think you murdered Niles and I think you came here with the express purpose of killing me! After I’d given you the toad, that is!”

Her jaw fell. “Why that’s absurd! I never even met this Niles, and why should I want to kill you? You’re working for me; we’re on the same side! I’ve no reason to kill you!”

“No?” he said, dropping her gun into a desk drawer. “What if I got greedy, decided I wanted a little more of the action than what you’re paying me? What you’re giving me is chickenfeed compared to the price of that toad! Chickenfeed!”

“I’m paying you what you asked.” She said softly. “That’s sufficient. And it’s a frog, Mr. Danger, a frog. Not a toad. And its value is not your concern.”

”It’s my concern when I’m asked to find something worth millions of dollars, worth a King’s ransom, while getting paid one-hundred per plus expenses! When I’m shot at and followed and roughed up by a bunch of assholes who wouldn’t think twice about slitting my throat! And you make me think we’re looking for something no more important than a set of car keys! And when you murder my partner as if he were no more than a spider you’d found in your bathtub! I’d say I had a right to be concerned! Concerned up to my ass!”

He hadn’t meant to shout. Now he calmed himself down. His outburst seemed to have the desired effect on her though, she was scared. He could see it in the way her breasts rose and fell with her heavy breathing. He was also surprised to see the peaks of her nipples tenting the soft fabric slightly, subtle but unmistakable proof that she was frightened. Frightened or aroused…

They were alone in the building, the lights out, the streets deserted. She was young, beautiful, and desirable, and handcuffed, blindfolded, and sitting helplessly in a chair, waiting for whatever he would do next. Plus, she owed him. Whichever way you sliced it, whether she’d actually killed Niles or not, she owed him big time. She’d tried to play him for a fool, a stooge, in a game that was way out of her league, that she’d had no business playing in in the first place.

But she had played. Too bad for her, she’d lost.

Now he held the all the cards, and she was in no position to bargain, no position at all. As far as Matt was concerned, there was only one thing she had that he wanted, and he was looking at it right now, deciding how much he wanted to take, and how he wanted to take it.

The tune was over, and the piper was standing with his hand out. Time to pay.

He paused to collect himself, and he realized that he was suddenly aroused himself.

He went back to his desk drawer and pulled out a mare’s nest of ropes and shackles. He untangled some thick nylon rope and went to her chair, passed it beneath her arms and pulled, forcing her elbows together and making her breasts protrude and flatten against the fabric of her silk blouse.

“Matt, what are you doing? Don’t! I beg you! We can work something out! If you’ve got the Frog, there’s enough there for both of us! Matt! Matt, tell me what you want? I’ll do anything! Anything you want! I can be good to you, Matt! I can be very, very good to you. Would you like that? I know you would! Matt? Matt! Say something, damn you!”

Once he had her arms tied back, he wrapped the rest of the rope around the chair and tied it off, effectively binding her to the chair. Then he moved around to the front and selected another piece of rope.

“You know I might just take you up on that, darling! I think we both know that you’ve got it coming! And is that what you offered Niles? Did you use your body on him as well? I’ll bet he was an easier sell than me. Niles always was a sucker for a nice piece of tail. I’m a little more…discriminating. I like a little more kink in my love play!”

“Matt, I swear” she said, almost weeping, “I didn’t know! I didn’t know he was your partner! I just wanted his help, but he wanted…he wanted more than I was willing to give! He wouldn’t stop!”

He ducked down low and threw a loop of rope around her ankle and drew it tight before she could kick out of it. He pulled it taut, forcing her foot hard against the wooden leg of the chair. He noticed her impeccably fashionable pump and it’s phenomenally high heel. She was a piece of work, alright.

When he went for her other ankle, she kicked at him, but he grabbed her foot and threw a loop of rope around it, too, and pulled it snug against the other leg of the chair.

“I don’t give a shit about Niles!” he said angrily as he yanked the knot tight. “Niles was an asshole and a loudmouth! But he was my partner, see. And a man owes certain things to his partner, like finding out who knocked him off! And getting a little revenge. It’s nothing personal, understand?” He stood back to look at her. Her wrists were tied behind her back, and the rope around her upper arms pulled her albows together behind her back, exaggerating the ripe thrust of her breasts. Having her ankles tied to the legs of the chair forced her knees up and out and pulled her hips forward, forcing her to slump slightly in the chair. Despite her discomfort, she looked as if she were already offering herself to him, inviting him to step between her legs. Her skirt was bunched up high by the unnatural position of her legs, showing the tops of her stockings and the lacey straps of her black garter belt.

He felt himself getting hard.

“One thing about Niles; he was always talking about women.” he said to her. “He was a vulgar kind of guy for my money, a small time hustler, but he loved his gash. A crude son-of-a-bitch, too. So I happen to know that the broad he was going to see the day he was murdered was a classy young thing who came on—as he said—real hot! That sound familiar?”

“Matt…”

“She had dark red hair, he said, long, like yours. And she was built pretty much like you. Yeah, old Niles could never keep his mouth shut, especially about his women. He said she had the prettiest little pussy. With the same dark red hair, but trimmed to a little rectangular patch. Now how many girls do you think are walking around out there who’re your size, with hair your color, and with pubic hair trimmed like that? And who were in enough trouble to hire a PI? Hmmm? How many?”

“Stop! Stop! Matt, you’ve got me all wrong! Matt!”

Realizing he would not be dissuaded, she changed her strategy. She suddenly drew a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Help! Help! Anyone!”

Matt quickly slapped his hand over her mouth to shut her up. He felt her teeth search for purchase on the palm of his hand and he quickly snatched his hand away before she could bite him, reached over to his desk and picked up the first thing that came to hand and stuffed it against her mouth. By sheer luck he had grabbed a ball gag tangled up in a mess of small rope. He hastily fastened the gag around the back of her head and removed the entangling ropes, then pulled the gag tight.

She was now bound and gagged, blindfolded with her ankles tied to the leg of the chair. Matt stuck his head out the window to see if there were any passersby, anyone who might have heard her one cry for help. He saw no one, the sidewalks under the yellow glare of the streetlights were as empty and forlorn as ever. Not a soul. Satisfied, he pulled his head back in and drew the blinds.

He remembered the unlocked office door, so he went and took care of that, double locking the door and snapping off the lights in the little reception room. He heard her struggling in the other room, but he knew she wasn’t going anywhere. He stopped at the cooler and drew himself a long drink of painfully cold water, then spashed some in his face.

Back in his office he found she had just about stopped struggling. In all her thrashing and writhing she had only managed to move the heavy wooden chair a couple of inches across the linoleum floor, but her efforts had left her perfect ensemble twisted and disheveled. She had now given up her struggles and was sitting stock still, straining to hear what he was up to. Her breasts still heaved from the exertion of fighting her bonds, and the top two buttons of her silk blouse had come undone, allowed a view of the top swell of her breasts, now covered with a thin sheen of sweat. It was the first time he had ever seen her perspire.

He noticed with pleasure that her nipples were now grossly erect and showing through the silky fabric of her blouse, and he didn’t think it was from the cold. She was scared, but, unless he missed his guess, she was also excited as hell at being tied up and at his mercy.

Matt had always had a predelection for a little kink in his sex. That’s probably why he’d never married. It’s also why he had such a collection of paraphanalia in his desk. It wasn’t the first time he’d enjoyed a client this way, although that had only been play-acting compared to this.

He’d always been able to pick them, and he’d had her pegged from the start. All her life she’d been pampered and deferred to, protected by her beauty and her wealth, but it hadn’t been enough. She had to get involved with the small-time hoods and sleazeballs who were chasing the damned Chinese Frog around, and she was probably in it only for the kicks. What could a couple more mill mean to her, who already lived like a princess off her daddy’s money. It was the excitement that appealed to her, the excitement and the danger. A broad like this got off on being around bad boys, and if Matt knew his women, probably harbored secret fantasies of one day being tied up and used by a man who wouldn’t fall for her bullshit. Whether she knew it or not, she longed to have someone put her in her place and treat her like the whore she knew she was. And Matt thought he might just give her what she wanted.

He went to the lower left drawer of his desk and pulled out a bottle of scotch and a tumbler, poured himself a healthy drink and shook a Camel from the pack on his desk, put in his mouth and lit it. He sat on the edge of his desk and took a good swallow. This was a sweet moment, a girl helpless, blindfolded and gagged and totally at his mercy, and he let her sit and stew while he smoked, letting her imagination run wild, not knowing what he might do. He knew that a woman like Ms. Cassandra Montgomery would get more and more aroused the longer he let her sit there in the dark. It was a moment to be savored.

He switched off the desk light, leaving them in the red neon glow from the sign outside.

He was now officially closed for business.

He took another swallow, stubbed out his cigarette, then put the empty glass on his desk and walked over to her. “Now, let’s continue with our investigation.” he said.

Without warning he squatted down in front of her and shot his hands up beneath her skirt, his fingers brushing the soft enticing flesh where her stocking ended. He could feel the heat and humidity of her as he found the waist band of her filmy bikini panties, grabbed them and ripped them apart, then pulled them off in shreds and leaving her naked beneath her skirt.

She winced and gave a muffled shriek of surprise. She tried to wriggle away, but there was nowhere to go as he flung her skirt up and gazed at her naked sex. She whimpered and tried to hide herself, managing to bring her knees closer together, but unable to conceal what he sought. Her pubic hair was indeed shaped into a fetching little rectangle, no bigger than his Zippo lighter.

“Just like Niles described it.” he said. He looked at her face to gauge her reaction, but she had her face turned to the side in humiliation or shame, and with her red lips stretched apart by the gag and her eyes concealed by the silken cloth, there wasn’t much to see.

He pressed on the insides of her knees to force her legs apart, and felt her legs tremble as she tried without success to resist him. Nature hadn’t made those muscles strong enough, bless her, he thought. It was the easiest thing in the world to push her knees open till her legs were stopped by the arms of the chair, then hold them there as he examined her most intimate secret.

He’d intended to start with her tempting breasts, the creamy mounds of flesh now visible where the buttons on her blouse had parted, but the sight directly before him was too inviting, As he’d expected, her wetness was visible in the evil red glow of the neon light, and as he watched he could see her pucker slightly as she tried to withdraw from his gaze.

It was a sight no man could resist, and, still holding her trembling thighs apart, he pushed his face against her, into the smoldering V between her legs. He inhaled deeply of her hot, spicy fragrance, a mixture of soap, perfume and her feminine arousal, trapped and concentrated under the hot tent of her skirt. He leaned forward and gently licked the sensitive flesh on the inside of her thighs, so warm, so maddeningly soft, enjoying the way she gasped when he touched her and the way her thighs trembled as she tried to protect herself from the lewd invasion of his tongue. But his salacious licks only increased the flow of her secretions and the heat he felt emanating from that sweet, expensive pussy.

He turned his face to her sex and began to lick the moisture from her, making a spoon of his tongue which easily dipped within her labia to scoop up the intoxicating nectar of a woman aroused.

She gasped as soon as he made contact, and hunched forward as if trying to protect her breasts, but at the same time her hips pressed forward as if they had a mind of their own, presenting themselves to his marauding tongue.